AMEC Sets Up Taskforces to Study Alternatives to AVE

The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) has set up two taskforces under the auspices of its U.S. Agency Research Leaders Group to answer two key questions raised by the recently-adopted Barcelona Principles.

LONDON—The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) has set up two taskforces under the auspices of its U.S. Agency Research Leaders Group—chaired by David Rockland of Ketchum—to answer two key questions raised by the recently-adopted Barcelona Principles, which rejected the use of advertising value equivalency to measure the success of public relations campaigns.

The taskforces will look into “validated metrics” to replace AVEs and examine ways of measuring social media. The AVEs taskforce will be led by Ruth Pestana, worldwide director of strategic services at Hill & Knowlton. Tim Marklein, executive VP, measurement and Strategy at Weber Shandwick, will chair the social media taskforce.

The taskforces will meet during August. International members from AMEC will be involved with the U.S. group in the final process to agree next steps recommendations in mid-September. The proposals will be unveiled at the North American Summit organised by the Institute for Public Relations and held in New Hampshire in October.